Cape Coral unions pan bonus plan

Manager aims to collect $27,500 in incentive pay

Aug. 10, 2011

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Cape Coral City Manager Gary King’s top three incentive award proposals for 2012. Each one he meets is worth $3,000 to him.

• A balanced budget with two months of general fund operating costs in reserves.

• A plan to charge vacant property where utilities are available a fee to cover their cost of utility plants and major collection and transmission pipe. Plan should reduce utility rates by a minimum of 5 percent over each of the next two years. Implement the biosolids program.

• Provide recommendations to the council to reduce the city’s long-term costs for pensions and other benefits.

Incentive provisions

Cape Coral City Manager Gary King’s incentive proposals for 2012 include three provisions in addition to 11 goals:

• He gets the full value of an incentive for an item if the council makes a change to or eliminates an incentive without substituting another with his approval.

• He gets the full value of an incentive that is met regardless of help from others.

• He becomes eligible for additional credit when he exceeds a goal in place of objectives that are not fully met.

incentive provisions

Cape Coral City Manager Gary King's incentive proposals for 2012 include three provisions in addition to 11 goals:

- He gets the full value of an incentive for an item if the council makes a change to or eliminates an incentive without substituting another with his approval.

- He gets the full value of an incentive that is met regardless of help from others.

- He becomes eligible for additional credit when he exceeds a goal in place of objectives that are not fully met.

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Less than a month after angering the city of Cape Coral's major unions by accepting over $17,000 in incentive pay, City Manager Gary King is asking for more next year.

King's proposal would give him an extra $27,500 if he completes 11 goals in the coming year.

Cape's police and fire union soundly thrashed contract proposals to cut their pay by 3 percent and increase their pension contributions by 2 percent after King accepted the $17,500.

He declined to comment on his new proposal, which he submitted to the mayor and City Council on Aug. 8. It was due in May according to his contract, but the City Council allowed him more time. The incentive pay is in addition to his annual pay of $132,500.

"I think the timing is poor," said police union attorney Gene Gibbons. "He has been asking and requesting that his employees suck in their stomachs and pull their belts tight when, meanwhile, he's letting his out and filling his plate. It doesn't send a good message to the rank and file when you have a leader who's not willing to lead by example. That's leadership 101."

The new incentive plan tops the $20,000 that was available this year. City Council awarded him $17,750. Members said he missed one incentive and only fulfilled half of another goal.

The City Council approved the award on July 25. Police rejected the contract 185-1 on July 29 and firefighters followed on Aug. 5 with a 177-0 vote. Both unions said it wasn't fair for King to get a bonus when they were being asked to cut back.

The package still has to be approved by the City Council before it can be added to his contract.

"I haven't looked at it. It's not on the agenda yet, so I'll look at at the appropriate time," Councilman Pete Brandt said.

King would be wise to meet with council members individually for their input in the meantime, Brandt said.

"Maybe with that input he can revamp it a little bit before it goes to council," Brandt said.

The proposal could be on the agenda for the Aug. 22 regular City Council meeting, Mayor John Sullivan said. That would make a vote possible.